


Traditions

by devoosha



Series: Klancemas 2019 [11]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Holidays, Klancemas 2019, M/M, Traditions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:47:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21874645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/devoosha/pseuds/devoosha
Summary: Keith and Lance share the traditions of their families for the holidays.
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Series: Klancemas 2019 [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559779
Comments: 3
Kudos: 53
Collections: Klance: Into the Multiverse, Klasix Master Collection





	Traditions

**Author's Note:**

> Today, I used one of the prompts to bridge the story from being at college and in the midst of exams to going back to Keith's home. 
> 
> December 17 - Traditions

**Traditions**

“So what’s Christmas like at your house?” Lance asked curiously. He and Keith lay on the bottom bunk, Keith’s bunk. They lay cramped together on the narrow bed, side by side. Lance’s impossibly long legs were up in the air, pressing his feet against the bottom of his own bunk. Keith, whose own legs were bent with his feet flat on his mattress, enjoyed the view. He never considered himself a ‘leg man’ until Lance. Those legs. They just. Mmm.

“I’m sorry, what?”

Lance laughed, giving him a little nudge with his elbow. “What can I expect at the Kogane-Shirogane household next week?”

“Oh. Um. Normal stuff, I guess?” Keith said. 

Lance’s head turned on the pillow towards him. “What’s normal?”

“Oh, you know. Open presents Santa brought. Uh…” Why was it so hard to think of anything? Did they have traditions? He thought they did. There were things they did every year, but were they really traditions? And didn’t everyone do them?

“We don’t do Santa,” Lance said, looking back up at the bottom of his bed. 

“You don’t have Santa?” Keith asked, taking his turn to let his head fall to the side to stare at Lance.

“Nope. I mean, I guess he’s part of it, but not a big deal.”

“Who brings the gifts?”

“Uh. Family does. I mean, everyone arrives with gifts and stuff. I grew up seeing this Santa stuff on TV and movies, but we never really used him.”

“Why not?”

“Mama said it wasn’t a thing in Cuba.”

Keith hadn’t thought of that. He knew people had different traditions. Some open gifts on Christmas Eve and some on Christmas Day. But he didn’t really think the celebrations would be vastly different. “So what kind of traditions does your family do? What’s Christmas like in your home?”

The way Lance’s face transformed in the soft glow of the Christmas light strands hung around their room brought that warm and fuzzy feeling deep in the pit of Keith’s full stomach. To celebrate end of finals, Keith and Lance gorged on Christmas cookies Hunk made while stress baking during exams. Snickerdoodles and thumbprint kiss cookies swam in their guts – hence why they now lay on their backs in bed. 

“Lots of food and dancing and family and friends and churchy stuff,” Lance replied, his voice taking on a tone that spoke of love, but with a hint of sadness. 

“Sounds nice.”

“It is. Family is the biggest part. I think it’s why I’m so upset I’m missing out.”

Keith reached to take Lance’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh don’t be!” Lance exclaimed, turning his head again so they were looking eye to eye. “I mean, I appreciate it, but I’m ok, really. I’m happy I can go home with you!”

Keith smiled. “I’m glad you’re coming home with me,” he said, a little shyly. 

Lance lifted their joined hands to his lips and placed a kiss on Keith’s knuckles. “So do you and Shiro do anything special?”

“Dad used to make a big deal of it. The tree and all that. Shiro tries. Before I came here, we’d go and pick out a tree, bring it home, and decorate it. Hang stockings on the wall; we don’t have a fireplace.”

“When do you open gifts?”

“In the morning on Christmas Day,” Keith said. “Cause Santa came at night and left gifts. I used to put cookies and milk out for him, and carrots for the reindeer.” He laughed, his tone fond from the memory, “I used to get so excited to see them gone in the morning.”

Lance was smiling at him. “It sounds so nice.”

“It was. I already knew the truth by the time dad died, so Shiro didn’t have to go through all that.” Keith thought for a moment, then said, “I don’t know that we do much else. We always have tacos for some reason on Christmas Day. Not really sure why. That’s what I always remember.”

“Doesn’t sound Christmassy,” Lance teased.

“I know. It’s what we always did though. What does your family eat on Christmas?”

“Well, leftovers mostly. Our big celebration is Noche Buena. Christmas Eve.”

“It is? We usually play cards or games on Christmas Eve.”

“We have a big party. Everyone gathers together at someone’s house, usually ours, and Mama and my Tia’s make a ton of food. Literally a ton, because there’s so many of us. We eat and dance all night practically. The kids are allowed to stay up. Food for miles, it seems. A bunch of us can play or sing, so we do. Or we dance. A few of my cousins are professional DJ’s, too, so they play music. It’s basically just a day to be joyful.”

“It sounds so amazing,” Keith said in a wistful tone. He’d never had anything like that. His family celebration was quiet and subdued. Loving, to be sure, but he wouldn’t necessarily call it joyful.

“Cubans take parties seriously, Keith,” Lance explained. “Christmas Day is less fun, as far as celebrating goes. It’s more for church stuff. We go to church most of the day and focus more on the religious part of the holiday. Christmas is a whole different level for Cubans, though. It’s two weeks of celebrating, technically, because it ends on Three Kings Day in January. I’ll be home for that,” he added. 

“Three Kings Day?”

“The day the Magi delivered the gifts to Baby Jesus. We give gifts and have another big party.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah, wow!” He was quiet, poking his toes through the bedsprings above him into the underside of his mattress. “I’m looking forward to being at your house, but I am going to miss the food.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll feed you.”

Lance chuckled, giving his hand another squeeze. “I don’t doubt it.”

“What kind of food does your family eat? Not tacos, I assume?”

“Nope. Let’s see,” he let go of Keith’s hand to lift his in order to tick each thing off a finger. “Roasted pork, but we do a whole pig in a pit in the backyard. And yeah, we have a roasting pit in our backyard. Black beans and rice, fried plantains, Cuban bread, yucca, and miles of desserts. Keith, you haven’t lived until you’ve had my Mama’s flan or Tia Rosita’s rum cake. I can’t wait to stuff you full of good stuff when we’re home.”

Keith eyed him, eyebrow raised. Lance realized his innocent innuendo and blushed. “You know what I mean.”

“All this talk of food is making me hungry,” Keith said. 

“Like, how?” Lance asked, dropping his legs in order to turn on his side and gaze at Keith. “You’re full of cookies.”

“I’m a growing boy.”

“Mmm. I bet you are,” Lance said. “I’m gonna go to the bathroom. Pick a Christmas movie we can watch when I get back.”

“We have to leave early tomorrow,” Keith said, propping himself up on his elbows. “We can’t stay up too late.”

“We won’t. One quick movie,” Lance begged, then gave Keith a little peck before wriggling over him to slide off the bed. 

Keith reached for his laptop as the bathroom door shut and opened it to browse through Netflix. Before he picked something, though, he sent a quick text to Shiro:

**Keith** : _You there?_

**Shiro** : Yeah, what’s up?

**Keith** : _Hey, can we have a nice dinner on Christmas Eve?_

**Shiro** : Of course. Why? 

**Keith** : _It’s what Lance’s family does_

**Keith** : _I want him to have a Christmas kind of like he does at home._

**Shiro** : OMG Adam and I are squealing. That’s so sweet.

**Keith** : _Fuck you both_

**Shiro** : LOL 

**Keith** : _I’m gonna send you some dishes to try and make. Or for Adam to make. You need to stay away from the kitchen_

**Shiro** : I’m hurt

**Keith** : _Just trying to keep the house safe_

**Keith** : _And download some Cuban music too_

**Shiro** : Sure thing. Can’t wait to see you tomorrow

**Keith** : _Same. Thanks_

He tossed his phone aside as Lance came out of the bathroom. He smiled up at his boyfriend. “How does _“It’s a Wonderful Life_ ” sound?”

“Sounds perfect to me!”

**Author's Note:**

> I researched the Cuban traditions online - I hope it's accurate. Keith's family follows more along ours.
> 
> Tumblr - devooshawrites


End file.
